Automatic cut-out.



l. M. SHERMAN.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

MPmcmmu man MAY 1. 191s4 Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

im, l

WITNESS 'ATTORNEY JOSEPH SHERMAN, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

AUTOMATIC CUT-OUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. s, 19;?.

Application filed May 1, 1916. Serial No. 94,829.

To all 'whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, Josnrrx M. SHERMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at A "iseattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented a certain new land useful Im rovementin Automatic .Cut- Outs, of whic v'the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in automatic cut-out devices for electric circuits, and the object of my invention is to provide a cut-out Whichshall operate automatically to cut-out or short circuit a .portion of an electric circuit with which it is associated when the continuity of the conductor within such portion is accidentally broken, thus to maintain the integrity of said circuit.

A more particular object of my invention i's to provide cut-out devices of a simple form of construction which shalll be especially adapted to be associated with an electric circuit that includes a plurality of electrical translating devices connected in series therein tobe operated by a constant current of electricity ilowing therethrough, as, for instance, a city street lighting circuit 4comprisin a ole line conductor from which exten s a p urality of loops ineach of which is connected one or more electric lamps to be operated by a constant current, all of said f lamps and all of said loops being connected in series with said pole line conductor, one

. of said cut-out devices being interposed betweeneach ofsaid loops and said pole line conductor, which-cut-out device vo connected fshall be adapted automatically to operate to short circuit its loop in response to an accidental break in th continuity thereof,there- A b y to prevent an interruption in the operation of the lamps connected in the other loaps. l

Vaccomplish these objects by devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings where in Figure 1 is a diagram showing cut-out devices, embodying one form ofr my invention, operatively associated with two electric lamps and loops connected with a fragment of a pole line conductor ofa Istreet lighting circuit; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in longiltudinal mid-section ofone o fsaid cut-out devices; and Fig. 3 is a view showing the same in cross-section on broken line se, of

I "Figc 2 as' secured to a supporting base.

Referring to the drawings throughout which like reference numerals. esignate like 'cach other for the parts,.two metal wires 4 and 5 are secured in positions parallel with and spaced from reater portion of their lengths by spad p ates or disks 6 `and 7 cf material that is a non-,conductor of electricity, as porcelain, which disks 6 and 7 .are provided each with two correspondingly spacedk holes through which project the opposite end portions 8 and,9and 10 and 11, respectively, of said wires 4 and 5, asshown more clearly in Fig. 2.

Those portions of the wires-4 and 5 which extend between said disks 6 und 7 are each embeddedV in a separate mass of metal,v as

'masses 12 und 13 respectively, whichA may by a space'a'sshown inFigs.

lar surface engages with aridcl'selyV lits'the peripheries of siiddisks 6 and 7 as shown Fig. 2.- 'p

' Each of the opposite end portions ofthe inclosing tube 2 4 is covered by'a, metal cap,-

(as cups 15 and 16) whose llollowcylindrl-,v I

cal portion clos( 1y fits the outer circumferen-h tial surface of said; tube 14.

The cap 15 is electricallyconnectedby solder to the end portion 8 ofthe wire.4,

vwhich end port ion 8 extends ina staggered course from the disk 6 to andhrugh the central portion of siiid'capl5, andin a .Similar manner the cap 16 is connected to the end portion 11 of the vi'firev '5,`,which lend portion 11 extends ina stag V red course from the disk 4'1 to and -throug the cap 16.

The end portion 9` o f the wiref'ifthatprojectsthrougii'mthe disk 741s' short nd .is bent, abruptly o a right angle ,neng

with the outerI sideof said disk :7; while 2tlg;-

end portion 10 of the' wire 5 ,Sglikewisn short and bentto a right angle to engage;

with Ithe outer side of the disk 6..

As'shown in Fig. Z the respective spaces! within the inelosing'tube 14 between the cap 15 and 'the disk 6 and between the cap 16 and the disk 7 are both -lilled compactly with material `Jhat is a non-conductor Aof electricity, as asbestos or plaster of Paris,

- from which circuit 20 extends -a loo thereby to prevent the wircs 4 and 5 from rotatively moving thus to keep the adjacent broad surfaces'of the masses 12 and 13 of fusible metal separated fro each other.

Mounted on a base (likenlmse 17) made of .non-conducting material, are two pairs of spring metal clips 1S and 19, of well and to make a. good electrical contact be. tweeri' said Blips 1.8 and the cap 15 andbetween the clips 19 and the cap 16, th'xls permittin either of the clips 18 to serve as one electric terminal of the device and pelfniitting either of the clips 19 to serve as the other trminal of such device.

The function and mode of operation of my cut-out as embodied in the structure of'Figs. 2 and 3, may be understood by reference to Fig. 1 wherein 20 represents a portion of a street lightin circuit which may include a plurality o electriclamps designed to beoperated by a constant current,

comprising'conductors 21 and 22 which include two electric lamps 23 and 24 in series therewith, whereby the circuit 20 together with any iamp that may be connected in series therein, is thus connected in series with the conductors 21 and 22 and with lamps 23 and 24.

One of my cut-outs has one of its terminais connected with the conductor 22, while its other terminal is connected to the conductor 21 at oints adjacent to the circuit20,

whereby suc cut-out may be adapted. to

operate to short circuit the entire loop com- Pl'lslng l Another one of my cut-outs has its terminals connected respectively with the conductors 21 and22 at'points near the terminels of the-,llamp-232`whereby said lamp 23 may beg, stier# uited inresponse to the operation: ci?" f ther one of said cut-outs. A third o' e of my cut-outs 'has one of its terminals connected to the conductor 22 said at a `point. adjacent to one terminal of the lamp 24 while the other terminal of said cut-ont is connected to said conductor 22A the conductors 21 and 22. y

manifest that if a'break occurs in said circuit 2Ov` or in any loop thereof, then said generator will automatically act enormously to increase the difference in potential between its terminals thereby enormousl to increase the voltage to which said circuit 20 will be subjected, and, therefore, ifvthe loop comprising the conductors 21 and 22 be accidentally broken during the operation of the circuit, then the difference in potential between the masses 12 an'd 13, of fusible metal, in the cut-out adjacent to said circuit 20, will increase to such extent that a current will jump from one of the masses 12 and 13 to the other thereof to form an arc, which arc will immediately melt or fuse. such portion of said masses 12 and 13. of fusible metal as will cause such moltcn portions of such metal to imite and form a conducting bridgt` between said masses 12 and 13 whereupon such arc will be extinguished und said loop will thus be short circuitcd or cutout from said circuit 20 in an obvious manncr` and then said generator will automatically adjust itself to generate thc rcquircil voltage to supply the iioriual constant currcnt to said circuit 20. v

If, however` a break should occur in either ofthe conductors 21 or 22 between thc lamp 423 and the adjacent cut-out` tlicn saidnd` jacent cut-out 'would operate to sliort cir cuit :said lamp 23 provided the distance between its masses 12 and 13. be slightly shorter than the distance between the masses 12 :ind 13 of the cut-out adjacent tothe polcl line circuit 20; and in like manner if a break should occur in the conductor 22 at\a point' alike with respect to the distance between their respective'massiiiQ-sand 13, and thef eilt-out in such"loop that is' disposed adjacent to the niaiii, po le line circuit has its 4masses 12 and 13 disposed at" slightly greater distance from cach other. ivlieii'ff connected with a main pole line are 5 one of the lamps of `such loop might he cit'- out without disturbing thc-.operation of ,the other lamps of such loop.

The advantages of utilizin my cut-out in the mannerl illustrated and escribed, will be obvious in view of the fact that the records of one of the largest and best series arcstreet lighting systemsin the United States show that ninety five per cent. of the accidentelbrcaks in its several circuits l`have occurred in loops that extend from the= main pole line, 4and in slack swinging loops lead- 0.06111? will be,

-Spetive eues f the ins therefrom t0 Suspended lamps, Mld Such brenks extinguish all hun Ys of the whole circuit, but, if; my cut-out e associated with each of such loops, then only'the lamp or lamps within the loop wherein the break l extingnishedu. t Mgnifestly, the messes-12 and 13 of fusible metal may be cfa diieret form and be associated with n different form of terminals and be disposed in n different form of inclosng case without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim'is:

1. In a cut-out of the class described, the combination with an inclosin case made of material that is a non-con uctor of electricity ind having. end walls of metali, cj two plates of electrical insulating mate al transversely disposed within said incl sing case and spaced frm" each other, said plates being provided enc with two eorrespcnd. ingly spaced holes extendingtherethrough; two pieces of metal wire 'disposed to extend 'between seidv etes in lines' parel-le1v with, and spaced from, each other with their oppositeA portions roiected Vthroughrecles of the adjacent one of said plates, one end portion of one of said wires Vbein nected with the i, jacent one of said end walls and one end portion of the other of Said wires being extended to-and connected with the `other of said end wMlsf and two separated masses of metal ,die said inclosing ease between si 'plates, each of said: masses being in metallic connection with a diierent one of said wires; and the metal of said mames being of a character to be fusible at a low temperature.

2. An electric cut-out of the class described which enibed an inclosn case made of non-conducting material an having metal end walls; and two se arated me Gf metal disposed within sai inclos.- in case, one of said masses being electrice r connected with one of said metal end wal s while the other of said masses is electrically connected to the other of said end walls, the metal of'said masses being fusible at a low-temperature.4

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe mynamethis 251 h day of April A.D. 1916. JOSEPH M. SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

FRANK WARREN, O. JoHNsoN.

extended to and conwithin 

